Experience and Perpetration of Violent Behaviours among Secondary School Students in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

Worldwide, adolescents are disproportionately affected by violent behaviours. The nature and extent to which Nigerian adolescents have perpetrated and experienced violence has not been fully investigated. This cross-sectional survey assessed experience and perpetration of physical, sexual and psychological violent behaviours among school-based adolescents. A total of 1366 students (50.4% females and 49.6% males) randomly selected from six public secondary schools in Ibadan, Nigeria were interviewed using a 36-item questionnaire. Respondents answered questions regarding demographic profile, sexual behaviour, and the extent to which they had experienced or perpetrated physical, sexual and psychological violent behaviours. The lifetime experience of at least one of the three forms of violence was 97.9%: physical violence ranked first (94.4%), followed by psychological (77.6%) and sexual violence (34.9%). The most common types of these forms of violent behaviours experienced were slaps (84.5%), unwanted touch of breast and backside (22.7%) and being belittled (63.2%). Approximately 8% of the study group haave had sex and 25% of sexually active respondents claimed that their first sexual encounter occurred in coercive circumstances. The predictors of experience of violence among males were use of alcohol, witnessing domestic violence, involving in work and parental use of alcohol. Among females parental use of alcohol and being young were predictors of violence. Reports of perpetration of physical, sexual and psychological violence among males were 75.3%, 44.9% and 13.3% respectively. Comprehensive interventions targeting students, teachers and parents are recommended to address this problem.

Keywords: Adolescents, Nigeria, Sexual behaviours, Violence